


Being Martin Fitzgerald

by Rod



Category: Without a Trace
Genre: Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-27
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-12-03 20:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/702345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rod/pseuds/Rod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny realizes something about Martin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Martin Fitzgerald

It strikes Danny suddenly. He's watching through the window as Martin comforts Sam, trying to pretend that it doesn't hurt, when he realises what's really going on here. Martin's trying to become Jack.

Not become like Jack, which makes sense even in Danny's world, but actually be Jack Malone in a level of obsessiveness that only Martin could think was a good idea. He wants to be that smart, that tenacious, that hard; something Danny could admire even though he usually favours a softer approach. He wants to be the agent who gets things done, and hell, who wouldn't? Most importantly, he wants to be the agent who really pisses off his father, and that's a whole level of crazy Danny really didn't want to have to think about.

That's what all of the pushing and shoving and arguments have been about. That's why Martin has been getting progressively more hard-assed interviewing suspects, because that's what Jack does. That's why he went behind Vivian's back to pressure someone the way Jack would have, and Danny should have called him on it there and then if only he'd seen where this was all going.

That's why he's after Sam. Because Jack had the workplace romance that was so unsubtle Internal Affairs didn't need to be clued in, so Martin has to do exactly the same thing with exactly the same woman in exactly the same ways, and does he really think that no one's noticed? OK, maybe Danny is more than averagely sensitive to exactly where Martin's smiles are going and exactly when he leaves the office, but he's noticed Jack's black looks and Vivian's long-suffering grimaces and he doesn't think he's the only one who's spotted how Sam and Martin act around each other.

Danny wouldn't mind, he tells himself, if this was going to make either of them happy. It won't, though. If he's right about this, Sam's on the rebound and Martin's making himself believe that he's something he isn't. That can only hurt both of them, and Danny would be doing them both a favour if he could figure out how to clue Martin in. If only he could make Martin realise that Martin Fitzgerald is smart and tenacious enough in his own right, and that nothing Martin would want to do is going to make his father less than proud of him.

If only.

A tiny, selfish corner of his heart clings desperately to one thought: Jack left Sam. There is still hope.


End file.
